Gliding projectile



March 20, 1928. 1,663,058

. PEPPIN GLIDING PROJECTILE Filed July 1, 1927 v 27' so 28 8 /0 Fly-1 5" 2.9 /6 r as 4 I 7 /2 25 2 24 /3 i ll /4 I re al 5 .P If Airy, 33 a CW v 26 baliv iment of the invention is Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

JOSEPH PEPPIN, F SCIOTA, NEW YORK.-

GLIDING PROJECTILE.

Application filed July 1,

My invention relates to ammunition for modern warfare and more particularly for trench warfare. My gliding projectile is intended to replace hand grenades and trench mortars as well as guns used for sending shells a comparatively short distance and which accordingly require only a low initial velocity.

For this reason I provide the projectile, which is constructed in the form of a hollow shell, with supporting wings and a propeller actuated by a ropel ing c arge, thereby enabling the pro ectile, when fired, to rise from the ground and proceed in the direction of the enemy. It is also provided with a bursting charge and time or percussion fuse so as to break it up into small pieces when reaching its destination.

In order to send the projectile in the desired direction, I provide a carria e with an inclined track consisting of a num er of rollers upon which the projectile is placed when ready table permitting a limited traversing and in this manner enabling the gunner to direct the fire to different points of the compass without shifting his position.

In the accompanying drawing one embodillustrated, and Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of my projectile taken along line 1-1 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a transverse section along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figures 3 and 4 are similar sections along lines 33 and 44 respectively of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the carriage with the shell in firing position, and

Figure 6 is a front elevation of Figure 5.

The projectile or shell consists of two main portions, namely the tail or rear portion 10 and the nose or front portion 11 which are joined together as at 9 by screw thread .or other suitable lock. Between the two shellportions is a solid wall or partition 12 thereby furnishing a front chamber -1t and a rear chamber 18. The front chamber, which contains a propelling charge, has suitable bearings 13 for a central shaft 14 extending thru the front end of the nose 11 and carrying a propeller 15 preferably constructed on the lines of an aeroplane pro peller. On the rear end of the shaft 14 is secured a turbine wheel or rotor 17 with a to be fired. The carriage has a turn- 1921. Serial No. 202,899.

number of blades or buckets 36 enclosed between the front and rear walls which. have entrance openings 37 for the propelling. gases. When the latter strike the buckets before escaping thru the exhaust nozzles 31,

they compel the wheel or rotor to rotate.

The connection between the rotor 17 and the shaft 14 may be elastic so as to take care of the sudden shock in starting, or the shaft 14 may be flexible for the same purpose, as shown in Fig. 1.

The tail 10 has its chamber 18 filled with a suitable bursting charge as indicated in Fig. 1. This bursting charge is filled in thru the opening in thepartition which is then sealed by the plug 38. A pipe filled with a suitable ignition charge or quick match, extends thru this chamber and has its ends secured in the partition 12 and the closed rear end of the tail 10, respectively. The forward end of this pipe opens into the front chamber 16 and the rear end is preferably closed by a cap 26 which when the firing 1s to take place, sion cap.

Para lel to this pipe but above the same is shown a pair of tubes 20, 21 of which the inner one 21 fits snugly within the outer tube 20 but so as to be able to turn therein. The outertube 20 has its ends secured respectively in the partition 12 and in the solid rear end of the tail 10. The inner tube 21 provided with a series of apertures or 15 vents 22 spaced in longitudinal direction.

Similarly the tube 20 is provided with the same number of vents 23 having the same spacing as the vents in the inner tube but with this difference that if the inner vents 22 are in longitudinal alignment, as indicated in Fig. 1 the outer vents 23 are staggered circumferentially in order that only one of the vents 23 may register with only one of the vents 22, while all the others remain closed.

The inner tube 21 opens with its forward end into the front chamber 16,'but its rear end is plugged as at 24 and carries an index finger 25 to indicate the setting of the vents 22, 23 with relation to each other. In other words, one extreme position of the index finger indicates the registration of the two foremost vents 22, 23 and the other extreme position of the index finger 25 indicates the registration of the rearmost vents, while intermedlary positions of Stud index finger may be replaced by a-percuswing which is detachably Around the latter turn table a platform 44 is adapted to turn b denote the registration of the middle vents.

As the inner tube is filled with a suitable detonating charge or slow match, the tubes actually constitute a time fuse for i iting the bursting charge in the tail ch mber 18 after a shorter or longer flight of the projectile, "depending on the setting of the index finger .25.

Reference numeral 27 represents a sustaining plane or wing similar to those used on aeroplanes. The wing is detachably secured on the projectile by means of suspension members or bands 28 which engage in suitable annular grooves 29 provided in the surface of the projectile. The wing 27 is further secured by guy-ropes or wires 30 reaching forward to the'" sides of the pro jectile and engaging, by means of their button-shaped heads, in corresponding key-holes in the projectile. j

Reference numeral 33' represents a .tailsecured to the projec'tile by a central web or fin 34 engaging with its T-shaped head in a corresponding groove in the vtop of the tail 10. Guyropes or wires 35 are also used fol-steadying this wing, and these wires are also button-headed so that they may snap into suitable key-holes 39 on the sides of the tail 10.

vAs already explained, no gun or mortar is required for firing my projectile. Instead a light and easily transportable carriage is used. This carriage consists of a. stand with a flat top 40 constituting a turntable,-

resting on legs 41, placed on the ground and provided with a centralpivot pin 42. and supported on the by the aid of a handle 43.

connection and an By means of struts 45 a track or run-way 46 is secured on top of the platform 44. The run-way, which has an inclination of about 15 degrees is provided with a series of rollers 47 arranged in two parallel rows and upon which the projectile is placed when ready to be fired. It is not thought necessary to provide a variable elevation for the track 46, but it is evident that this may be easily arranged by providing a hinged elevating gear between the same and the platform 44.

en using my device, the carriage is first set up on the ground in a suitable position facing the enemy. The projectile fully charged, the'nose and tail assembled and with the propeller in place, the wings 27 and 33 are next attached by dropping the projectile into the loops of the bands 28 and inserting the wire-heads in their;

key-holes, while the fin 34 and wires of the tail wing are similarly secured. The projectile is now in the completed state indicated in Figures 1 and 2 and ready to be placed on the rollers 47 of the inclined track as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. As.

projectile will rest as to escape thru the exhaust atmosphere, but in doing so they come in the two rows of rollers are spaced apart, the

in a trough so as to be guided in the firing line.

The gunner may now train the projectile in azimuth by means of the handle 43. lVith a percussion cap 26 on the end of the pipe 19, a hammer blow on' the latter will produce a flame at the forward end of the pipe, inthis manner ignition is simultaneously transmitted from t ignitin the Y propelling ,pharge in the forward cliamber 16. This ie propelling charge to the detonator or time-train in the inner tube 21, the flame of which will travel slowly in rearward direction in the tube 21. To assist the ignition, a bag of priming charge may be placed between the partition 12 and the rotor '17.

As soon as the explosion gases have been formed in the forward cham er 16, they try vents 31 to the contact with the buckets 36 and push them out of their way, thereby rotating the tur bine wheel or rotor. 17 which communicates its rotation to the propeller 15 thru the flexible shaft 14. gained suflicient speed, it drags the projectile off the run-way and carries it thru the air floating on the wings 27, 38.

During this flight, the time train is slowly burning and supposing that the index 25 has been set for 500 feet, represented by the two foremost vents 22, 23, then the instant the projectile from the time train will pass thru the vents 22, 23 and ignite the bursting char ah the rear chamber 18. The explosion ollowing reaks up the walls of the projectile in numerous pieces and scatters them over the ground. It is evident that the chamber 18 may be partly filled with shrapnel balls, in yvhichtgase the partition 12 would have to be oose ward and the nose l1 torn off.

when a percussion cap would be inserted at the forward end-in the artition 12.-

While the preferred em odiment of my invention has been described in detail, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction set forth, since various changes in the form, proportions, and arrangementof parts, and in the details of construction ma resorted to without. departing from t e spirit and scope of the invention, or destroying any of the advantages contained in the same.

I claim:

1. In a self-propelling projectile, front and rear chambers having a propelling charge and a bursting charge res'pectivelyfa pipe having an ignition train enclosed in chamber, a time fuse comprising a tube hav- When the propeller has ermit the balls to be thrown foring its ends fixed in the rear chamber, an 7 inner tube mounted to turn within the fixed tube and opening into the front chamber its rear end being closed, a time train filling the inner tube, said tubes being provided with corresponding vents similarly spaced longitudinally but dissimilarly spaced circumferentially; and a propeller adapted to be actuated by said propelling charge to drive the projectile.

2. In a self-propelling projectile as described in claim 1, sustaining wings and means for detachably securing the wings to the projectile, comprising bands fixed on the wings and embracing the projectile, and supporting members having button-headed elements engaging in corresponding apertures provided in the projectile.

3. In a self-propelling projectile, front and rear chambers having a propelling charge and a bursting charge respectively, a propeller adapted to be actuated by the propelling charge to drive the projectile, sustaining wings and means for detachably securing the wings on the projectile, comprising bands fixed on the wings embracing the rojectile, and supporting members having utton-headed elements engaging in corresponding apertures provide in the projectile.

4. In a self-propelling projectile, front and rear chambers having a propelling charge and a bursting charge respectively, means for igniting the propelling char said bursting charge being adapted to ignited by said propelling charge; a rotor in the front chamber, and a ropeller mounted exteriorly of the projecti e having suitable driving connection with the rotor.

5. In a self-propelling projectile as described in claim 4 wings on the projectile and comprising bands fixed on the wings, and supporting members havdetaohably secured ing button-headed elements engaging in corresponding apertures provided in the projectile.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH 5 PEPPIN. mark 

